Some 140 maté vessels from the collection of Ildefonso Suescun and María Dolores Benard de Suescun of Argentina will be featured in this exhibition. Maté drinking has been a cherished tradition among the Argentinian people from pre-Columbian times. Originally, maté cups were made from gourds, later on also from other materials, including silver. Commissioned by Argentina, ceramic maté-drinking ware was produced from the late 19th century to the beginning of the Second World War in some European countries, particularly Germany and Czechoslovakia. In the 1940s, Argentina established its own production of such containers; however their quality was inferior compared to the European output. The Suescuns began to collect these artifacts sixty years ago, the collection now comprising more than 600 items of various shapes and decoration.

The exhibition has been prepared in partnership with the Dr. Eduardo A. Durini Foundation of Buenos Aires and the Embassy of Argentina in Prague.